The newest 15-inch notebook from HP arrives just in time to make a big impact for back-to-school shoppers in 2008. The HP Pavilion dv5z features the latest AMD dual-core processors, cutting edge graphics that slaughter the competition, and a price that's so competitive you'll have a hard time coming up with reasons not to buy this notebook. Take a look at our full review and find out what makes this notebook so impressive.

HP Pavilion dv5z has the following specifications:

* Processor: 2.1GHz AMD Turion X2 Ultra dual-core processor ZM-80
* Graphics: ATI Radeon HD 3200
* Operating System: Windows Vista Home Premium with SP 1 (64-bit)
* Screen: 15.4" WSXGA+ High-Definition HP BrightView Widescreen Display (1680 x 1050)
* Memory: 2GB (up to 4GB configurable)
* Storage: 160GB SATA HDD (5400rpm)
* Optical Drive: SuperMulti 8X DVD+/-R/RW with Double Layer Support
* Wireless and Communications: 802.11b/g WLAN
* Battery: 6-cell Li-Ion (10.8V, 47Wh)
* Dimensions: 14.05" (W) x 10.2" (D) x 1.37" (min H)/1.65" (max H)
* Weight: 5.84lbs
* Warranty: 1-year

The pricing on the dv5z starts at around $699.99 ($599.99 with $100 instant rebate), and our configuration has a few upgrades that brought the final price to $849.99 at the time of this writing. Needless to say, this is a fabulous price point for back-to-school shoppers.

The dv5z has a new and improved design, replacing the long-lasting and much-loved dv6000 series chassis design. The display cover has the durable plastic Imprint finish, which holds up quite well to minor abrasion without scratching. The body of the notebook is smooth with rounded edges, making it extremely comfortable in your hand while carrying it around. The screen also sports a latchless design, making it easy to open the notebook with one hand. Although the lid lacks any latch to keep it held shut, the hinges feel fairly strong, keeping the lid secure. Pressing firmly onto the back of the screen cover will produce some ripples on the screen ... but you must apply significant pressure to cause this.

The plastic chassis is quite rigid and suffers from no flex or creaks even when twisted between my hands. Although I don't recommend tossing your notebook down a staircase, the dv5z should survive years of daily travel in a backpack or the occasional drop off a desk.

Our dv5z features the "Mesh" Imprint Finish which looks the name implies: a fine gray mesh pattern over a black surface. The Imprint Finish on the dv5z is much more subtle than the previous designs we've seen on HP notebooks. I suspect most average consumers will find the mesh pattern more acceptable in workplace environments than the older generation patterns. While the dv5z still looks like an attractive consumer notebook, the Imprint Finish isn't quite as "splashy" or "busy" as it used to be.

The bottom of the dv5z is quite simple with some nice heat vents located in strategic positions to help keep the laptop cool. The access panels on the bottom of the notebook make it easy to upgrade RAM, replace the hard disk drive, or replace the motherboard battery if needed. This arrangement makes it simple for the novice user to make upgrades, but more serious users will have to remove the entire base of the chassis in order to access the rest of the motherboard.

Conclusion

As I mentioned in our First Look, there are a lot of reasons to be excited about this notebook. First, we're just glad to see HP release a new notebook chassis design since they were using the same old dv6000 series design for several years. More importantly, we're in complete awe over the performance of the integrated graphics on this machine.

Sure, you can get better gaming performance if you spend more money for a notebook with a good dedicated graphics card, but you would have to purchase a mid-range or high performance dedicated card to surpass the performance of the integrated graphics in the dv5z. For the first time consumers shopping for a budget notebook don't have to sacrifice performance in order to have a low-cost laptop.

In the end, the HP Pavilion dv5z left me more than a little frustrated. The simple reality is that this budget notebook packs the best integrated graphics solution we've ever seen inside it's sleek chassis. However, battery life was far too limiting. In fact, this notebook would have received an Editor's Choice Award if it could have managed at least 3 hours of battery life ... but 2 hours and 22 minutes is just unacceptable.

Also, it's hard to understand why HP doesn't allow consumer to purchase this notebook with a Blu-ray drive unless the system is configured with a dedicated graphics card. The new ATI Radeon HD 3200 IGP is perfectly capable of running a Blu-ray drive, so it makes no sense for HP to require consumers to purchase a dedicated graphics card.

If you can live with the poor battery life and lack of Firewire it's hard not to recommend this notebook to anyone and everyone needing a laptop for less than $900.

Pros:

* Amazing integrated graphics performance!
* Great design and build quality
* Amazing integrated graphics performance!
* Fabulous screen
* Amazing integrated graphics performance!
* Great keyboard and media buttons
* Amazing integrated graphics performance!
* Includes HDMI and eSATA ports
* Did I mention the AMAZING integrated graphics performance?

Cons:

* Poor battery life
* No Firewire port
* No built-in TV tuner option at time of this writing
* No Blu-ray option with integrated graphics even though the HD 3200 IGP can handle it
* Touchpad surface is either great or "sticky" depending on how dry your fingers are